Liverpool vs. Everton

With another nervy and dramatic victory under their belts in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Brighton, Jurgen Klopp‘s Reds head into the midweek encounter with a spring in their step.

While Liverpool have yet to hit their stride so far this season, 13 wins from the opening 14 games has the Reds positioned atop of the table with an eight point gap over Leicester in second place.

And now a clash which many first look to upon the release of the fixtures for the new season awaits, with Everton visiting Anfield in yet another December meeting.

The midweek match pits two teams with contrasting starts to the campaign against one another, with Klopp’s Reds possessing just a single blemish on their league record to date while Marco Silva is feeling the mounting pressure as the Toffees sit just two points outside of the relegation zone.

Liverpool are currently 26 points better off than their local rivals and few, if any, will consider Everton favourites in the clash.

Recent meetings have proved anything but straightforward for the Reds, but current results indicates Liverpool are in prime position to heap more misery on the visitors.

The Reds rarely do anything the easy way these days, but could that be about to change on Wednesday?

Team News

Liverpool head into the clash with few fresh concerns in the injury department from the win over Brighton, but they will be without their first-choice stopper.

Alisson‘s red card for handling the ball outside the area against the Seagulls handed him a one game suspension, ensuring an enforced change for Klopp.

After deputising for the Brazilian for 11 matches during his time on the sidelines, Adrian will make his return in between the sticks for his first league start since the win over Leicester.

The shuffle in the goalkeeping stocks is also likely to see Caoimhin Kelleher take up the position on the bench.

Meanwhile, Fabinho‘s absence for the rest of the year remains a big blow as he continues the early stages of his recovery from ankle ligament damage sustained against Napoli.

And Joel Matip is still on the sidelines with a return date yet to be determined as the boss conceded the knee injury is “not exactly how we wished” so it “will take a while.”

With the exception of Fabinho, who was to miss Brighton’s visit regardless of his injury, Klopp turned to his ‘regular’ starting XI with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting from the off in his preferred midfield position last time out.

Although sacrificed following Alisson‘s dismissal, the 26-year-old could be in line for another start, while Naby Keita also remains an option should the boss look to add fresh legs.

Did You Know?

Everton have conceded the most league goals after 90 minutes so far this season (4), two of which have come in their last two games.

And their record against the Reds is not any better as Liverpool have scored more 90+ winning goals against them (5) in the Premier League than any other team has notched against another in the competition’s history.

So will history repeat itself and Liverpool’s fondness of late goals (Origi+6 and Mane 90+4) prove to be Everton’s kryptonite once more?

Klopp’s View

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the boss remained wary of an Everton side boasting a considerable amount of talent, despite their current run of form which has them languishing in the bottom half of the table:

“The table tells the full truth at the end of the season, not in these early stages.

“Come on, if you go through the Everton squad you would say that’s a really good squad, nobody denies that—not Marco, not nobody.

“Why it’s quite clicking 100 percent so far, I don’t know really.

“A few really difficult injuries, especially the [Andre] Gomes one, it’s really difficult, Delph was injured, maybe back but a very, very important player for them as well, so that’s how it is.”

TV & Liveblog Info

Liverpool’s clash with Everton will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video from 6.30pm (GMT), with kickoff set for 8.15pm.

Chris Williams will be at the helm on This Is Anfield’s matchday liveblog, keeping you entertained and up to date on all the action starting from 7.30pm.